Regarding blister resistant socks, I used a brand called Wright socks when I went to field training. I didn't have a single blister the entire time I was there. You can pick them up at any running store or REI

Search "Olive Drab U.S. Army Sock Package - 6 PAIRS" on Amazon. That's what I used last year. Not the greatest quality sock but they're pretty cheap and get the job done. I didn't get blisters at all while I was down there. For PT socks I just got some ankle height Starter brand socks at Walmart and they were fine.

I got several pairs of Under Armor boot socks when I got back and they're easily the most comfortable socks I've worn in ABU's, but I wouldn't really recommend taking them to FT as they're $15/pr and you're probably going to get everything mixed up in laundry loads and never see some of your stuff again (and come home with stuff you didn't go down there with..)

Also look in to getting some inserts. I got some Dr. Scholls work boot inserts right before I went down. I had never used inserts before but held up great and I still use them in my new boots I've since gotten.

Search "Olive Drab U.S. Army Sock Package - 6 PAIRS" on Amazon. That's what I used last year. Not the greatest quality sock but they're pretty cheap and get the job done. I didn't get blisters at all while I was down there. For PT socks I just got some ankle height Starter brand socks at Walmart and they were fine.

I got several pairs of Under Armor boot socks when I got back and they're easily the most comfortable socks I've worn in ABU's, but I wouldn't really recommend taking them to FT as they're $15/pr and you're probably going to get everything mixed up in laundry loads and never see some of your stuff again (and come home with stuff you didn't go down there with..)

Also look in to getting some inserts. I got some Dr. Scholls work boot inserts right before I went down. I had never used inserts before but held up great and I still use them in my new boots I've since gotten.

Search "Olive Drab U.S. Army Sock Package - 6 PAIRS" on Amazon. That's what I used last year. Not the greatest quality sock but they're pretty cheap and get the job done. I didn't get blisters at all while I was down there. For PT socks I just got some ankle height Starter brand socks at Walmart and they were fine.

I got several pairs of Under Armor boot socks when I got back and they're easily the most comfortable socks I've worn in ABU's, but I wouldn't really recommend taking them to FT as they're $15/pr and you're probably going to get everything mixed up in laundry loads and never see some of your stuff again (and come home with stuff you didn't go down there with..)

Also look in to getting some inserts. I got some Dr. Scholls work boot inserts right before I went down. I had never used inserts before but held up great and I still use them in my new boots I've since gotten.

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Hey, I was wondering if you could point me towards the insoles that you bought?

Don't go cheap when it comes to ABU socks. You're wearing these socks for 8+ hours more than likely. But also don't buy super expensive socks because there's a good chance some of your socks will get mixed up in laundry with your flight. LAUNDRY MARK ALL YOUR THINGS. All of them.

I agree. Don't go cheap. I might be the oddity, or it might be that Bullet was in the military. We did a mixture of medium and high end plus high end moleskin. If he lost a pair ... so what, he had the back up of medium and moleskin.
~ I recall that he was required to have X amount of sock pairs (all had to have the initial of his last name and his last 4 SS #) He came back with the same amount as he left with.

Honestly, what would be on the top of my list to take is STAMPS and envelopes. Also remember to take your phone charger. DS forgot to, because he knew they would confiscate it within a day or so. He/we didn't think about how he would burn through the battery when he got back to the dorms before leaving. It was near dead when he left for the airport.

Yeah bring stamps and envelopes to write people. I could see some were disappointed not being able to write mail to their family while at FT. Bring bring bring that phone charger. I spent 8 hours in New Orleans airport due to weather then an additional 4 in Atlanta airport so having a charged phone to talk to family and friends helped pass the time until I finally got back home.

Yeah bring stamps and envelopes to write people. I could see some were disappointed not being able to write mail to their family while at FT. Bring bring bring that phone charger. I spent 8 hours in New Orleans airport due to weather then an additional 4 in Atlanta airport so having a charged phone to talk to family and friends helped pass the time until I finally got back home.

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Thanks! It's little stuff like this that I would forget because of the other stuff going on. If you have any more tips like that I'm all open ears.

Thanks! It's little stuff like this that I would forget because of the other stuff going on. If you have any more tips like that I'm all open ears.

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Gold bond will be your best friend. Get the biggest bottle you can find to last you the entire time you're there. If you use braces (for knee(s), ankle, wrist) bring them. I would choose an electric razor over regular because it saves time and less chance of cutting face and getting blood on uniform. Use tape instead of rubber bands on your rolled items, rubber bands leave marks on items where it's hard to get them off. Bring a good combo lock (if it gets yanked off during inspection, it's bad news for you).

Gold bond will be your best friend. Get the biggest bottle you can find to last you the entire time you're there. If you use braces (for knee(s), ankle, wrist) bring them. I would choose an electric razor over regular because it saves time and less chance of cutting face and getting blood on uniform. Use tape instead of rubber bands on your rolled items, rubber bands leave marks on items where it's hard to get them off. Bring a good combo lock (if it gets yanked off during inspection, it's bad news for you).

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I disagree on buying the biggest bottle. EVERYONE will be bringing gold bond. I bought the biggest one and I never used it as I can always use my flightmates gold bond until they ran out (which they never did). From my experience buy toiletries in small amounts since the big bottles makes it hard to fit everything into your med cabinet and bed drawers. Buy just the required amount for toiletries but I suggest buying additional socks, PT gear, and ABU t-shirts. You will lose them during laundry. If you run out things at Maxwell your CTA can always go buy things for you if they are necessary (You do have to use your own money though). For any medicine (including vit C tablets) buy the smallest amount as the limit is a 30 day limit. Bring earphones so that you can listen to music on the way home. It's not considered contraband as long as you surrender it along with your phone at the beginning of FT. Great way to relax and decompress after 28 days of getting yelled at. To my knowledge you guys are not bringing your own notebooks but I highly suggest bringing a small booklet so that you can cram in notes for that book you need to read and any tips you received from your peers. Buy one that can fit in your ABU pockets.

Gold bond will be your best friend. Get the biggest bottle you can find to last you the entire time you're there. If you use braces (for knee(s), ankle, wrist) bring them. I would choose an electric razor over regular because it saves time and less chance of cutting face and getting blood on uniform. Use tape instead of rubber bands on your rolled items, rubber bands leave marks on items where it's hard to get them off. Bring a good combo lock (if it gets yanked off during inspection, it's bad news for you).

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I disagree on buying the biggest bottle. EVERYONE will be bringing gold bond. I bought the biggest one and I never used it as I can always use my flightmates gold bond until they ran out (which they never did). From my experience buy toiletries in small amounts since the big bottles makes it hard to fit everything into your med cabinet and bed drawers. Buy just the required amount for toiletries but I suggest buying additional socks, PT gear, and ABU t-shirts. You will lose them during laundry. If you run out things at Maxwell your CTA can always go buy things for you if they are necessary (You do have to use your own money though). For any medicine (including vit C tablets) buy the smallest amount as the limit is a 30 day limit. Bring earphones so that you can listen to music on the way home. It's not considered contraband as long as you surrender it along with your phone at the beginning of FT. Great way to relax and decompress after 28 days of getting yelled at. To my knowledge you guys are not bringing your own notebooks but I highly suggest bringing a small booklet so that you can cram in notes for that book you need to read and any tips you received from your peers. Buy one that can fit in your ABU pockets.

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We've been told to have a notepad in our carry on luggage so I am sure that will work. Thanks for the earbud idea!

Has something changed for the bag drag? I recall for our DS it was very specific regarding the size of toiletries and how many to bring. The list was insanely long and included everything from sunscreen to ziplock baggies to how many 1" blue binders.

The only thing he deviated from was after the bag drag at school and when he brought home his bag he did his Dads AF trick. He packed all of his liquid toiletries in a gallon ziplock baggie. This way if they opened during transit on the airplane due to baggage handling it would not destroyed anything else in the bag.
~ Think about if the bag is tossed into the cargo hold and another bag lands on top of it the wrong way, the shampoo or sunscreen top could open and for the next few hours ooze out of the bottle/tube all over your uniforms.

The other trick is to take your white tees and fold them with the shirt to reduce wrinkles. Lay the shirt down, lay the tee on top and then fold as usual. The tee acts like tissue paper.
~ We also took the uniforms to the dry cleaner and had them cleaned with heavy starch. Hung them up and only packed them back in the bag the night before he left.
~~ Doing all of that his uniforms were crisp and sharp. No wrinkles or creases.

DS went to Max 5, so had he left his uniforms in the bag for all those weeks, the uniforms would have been compressed and wrinkle city!

As military parents we did buy DS a new set of blues before he left. He handed back at the end of his 200 year the set he was given by the det. This is when we started the slow purchase of uniforms. We purchased his mess dress for xmas of his 300 year.
~ Cadets can either keep their uniforms or get the money. Since we did the slow purchase after SFT, our DS was able to take the money at commissioning.
~~ At his detachment it is common that the 300/400s wear the mess dress to dining ins/outs. The GMCs wear the blues with a bow tie. The mess dress costs @400.

Back on topic. Good luck, and honestly as soon as you get back, and after sleeping late that day, you will laugh and wonder what the hub bub was about!

Good quirky thing some of us figured out for hand soap and those you would worry about popping in luggage: take a water bottle cap and screw it on the liquid soap bottle, shampoo, etc. Definitely prevented any spills in my bags.

Great idea, but being a female, that wouldn't work for my shampoo! I wish it would, but I tried that before. I have tried water bottles, and caps for dish detergent. Dang that company!

It also doesn't help for the sunscreen you need to take. If you take an electric razor, than it is no biggie, but if you take a razor and shaving cream than, use a ziplock baggie.

I would also say that be smart regarding toothpaste. Some have a twist top and some have the clasp lid. Get the screw top.

I also would recommend for parents to buy some funny cards. I didn't write letters to our DS. I did send funny cards @2 times a week. I sent the 1st the day he left. It was a morale thing. I didn't want him to be the only one not getting mail, but I also knew he had limited time. A funny card told him we missed him and brightened his day.
~ Lets be honest it is only a month. The earth will still spin.

Tape the lids of your toiletries shut b/c chances are they will explode in that zip lock bag you're keeping them in. My shampoo and hand sanitizer exploded all over everything it was contained with because they had been previously used.

Bring Frebreze. The girl who had it in our flight was a Godsend. Everyone's going to stink, particularly the guys. The dryers suck so you're clothes will likely never be properly dried, that brings in a smell of its own.

Honestly you're not going to use half the amount of toiletries they ask you to bring, but bring it anyways b/c the last thing you want to do is show that you can't follow simple instructions.

Pima, the bag drag must have changed because they don't have sizes for anything. Also we think we have come up with an okay plan for packing and making sure nothing spills. They said to bring at a minimum 4 ziplock bags so it won't hurt to take more.

DSs was specific. I recall it very clearly because we spent several hundred on the list, and as we unpacked the bags we check marked off the item. 6 blue pens...check. 1 sunblock SPF 29+...check. Mechanical pencils...check. Blue 1 inch 3 ring binders....check. Blue spiral notebooks...check. Sunglasses,...check. 2 pair of eyeglasses...check. etc., etc for everything from razors to toothpaste.

Than it was tees, underwear, socks, towels, etc with his last name initial and last 4 SS on each item....check.

I will say the item he was most concerned about was the camo tan tees. We purchased for him the under armor tees from the BX. We also purchased the regular tees. For him, they allowed the under armor. He still wears them to this day. He swore that it was the best investment even more than the socks because Alabama in July/August is hot and humid Moleskin and medium socks will work, sweating through your tee shirt can be more uncomfortable.

Since this thread has already gone off track. I would add two suggestions.
1. Run in the height of the heat of the day. If you live in AK or NH chances are they are not ready for the heat or humidity in Alabama. 100 degrees is not uncommon in July.
2. Break in your boots. If you buy new sneakers, break them in too!
3. Double check the orders.
~ DSs unit did not attach the orders to the outside of the manilla envelope. He had to contact them for them to send the corrected envelope. Back then orders were on the outside, and the envelope was to arrive with them sealed.